Run the North | Golden Gophers football

[ShireNiner]

Week 13 Preview: Wisconsin Badgers (5-6, 3-5) at No. 8 Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-2, 6-2)

By: Aiden “AJ” Wexler | November 26, 2027
Minnesota Golden Gopher Reporter

When: Saturday, November 27, 2027
Time: 12:00 pm EST
Broadcast:
Where: Huntington Bank Stadium
Betting Line: Minnesota -13.5

Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe: Stakes Couldn't Be Higher in Rivalry Week


Minneapolis— On the surface, the 136th meeting between the Wisconsin Badgers and the No. 8 Minnesota Golden Gophers looks like a mismatch. One team is fighting for a spot in the Big Ten Championship; the other is fighting just to reach bowl eligibility. But in the most-played rivalry in FBS history, records are usually the first thing tossed into the Mississippi River.

For Minnesota, the math is simple: Beat Wisconsin, hope for an Oregon loss, and book a flight to Indianapolis.

Wisconsin’s Brayden Roggow has been an all-or-nothing quarterback this season, nearly eclipsing the 3,000-yard mark. However, his 51% completion rate and 10 interceptions tell the story of an offensive line that has struggled to protect him. Roggow has been sacked 31 times this season, putting him in the top-five in Big Ten history for number of times sacked in a season.

On the other side, freshman Josh Bobo continues to be efficient and safe. With a 134.4 QBR and a 15-to-4 TD-to-INT ratio, Bobo has stabilized a Gopher offense that was in flux early in the year. He has only been sacked seven times, a testament to his quick decision-making and a stout Minnesota front.

Matchup to Watch: Jaxon Howard vs. The Badger O-Line
The most lopsided metric on paper is the Wisconsin offensive line against Gopher defensive end Jaxon Howard. Howard has been a nightmare for Big Ten tackles, racking up 10.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss.


The Gophers have absolutely dominated this series under the current regime, outscoring the Badgers 90-23 over the last two meetings:

2025: Minnesota 38, Wisconsin 13
2026: Minnesota 52, Wisconsin 10

Wisconsin is desperate to stop the bleeding and secure a 6th win for bowl eligibility, while Minnesota is looking to keep their playoff and conference title dreams alive.




Key Players
Brayden Roggow - 240/464, 51%, 2,990 yds, 19 TDs, 10 INTs, sacked 31 times, 115 QBR
Josh Bobo - 117/184, 64%, 1,059 yds, 15 TDs, 4 INTs, sacked 7 times, 134.4 QBR
Dilin Jones - 140 atts, 624 yds, 4.5 avg, 5 TDs, 285 YAC
Fame Ijeboi - 181 atts, 1,180 yds, 6.5 avg, 8 TDs, 331 YAC, 263 rec yds, 2 rec TDs
Keshawn Cisco - 67 rec, 934 yds, 6 TDs, 240 RAC
Connor Malik - 69 rec, 641 yds, 7 TDs, 243 RAC
Trech Kekahuna - 67 rec, 851 yds, 6 TDs, 230 RAC
Jalen Smith - 47 rec, 534 yds, 6 TDs, 292 RAC
Kenric Lanier II - 38 rec, 423 yds, 5 TDs, 228 RAC
Remington Moss - 104 TAK, 1 TFL, 1 sack
Mitch Horan - 88 TAK, 9 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 1 INT
Landon Gauthier - 94 TAK, 1 TFL, 1 sack
Tevon Howard - 77 TAK, 3 TFL, 1 INT
Angelo Song - 52 TAK, 4 INTs
Jaxon Howard - 29 TAK, 15 TFL, 10.5 sacks
Ernest Willor Jr - 30 TAK, 11 TFL, 5 sacks
Vernon Woodward III - 50 TAK, 3 TFL, 6 INTs, 12 DEFLs, 1 FFUM

What did you think of this story?

---

---

Aiden “AJ” Wexler is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering Minnesota Gophers Football. He previously covered local high schools in the Minneapolis area. He is based in Minneapolis, MN. Follow AJ on Twitter @AidensFake.

---

---

Comments

[redsox907]

In BoBo we trust

[Count]

That Wisconsin o-line is nonexistent

[ShireNiner]

In BoBo we trust

Circus is on the move.

That Wisconsin o-line is nonexistent

Easily the worst I have played.

[ShireNiner]

Gophers cap off Senior Night with third straight Axe victory


Minnesota players celebrate after winning the Axe for the third straight year (ShireNiner PS5 images)

By: Bill Connelly | November 28, 2027
Writer, CFB/NFL

Minneapolis— For the third consecutive year, the most-played rivalry in college football ended in a lopsided Maroon and Gold celebration.

No. 8 Minnesota left no doubt on Saturday afternoon, dismantling Wisconsin 57-17 to retain Paul Bunyan’s Axe and keep their playoff dreams alive. Freshman quarterback Josh Bobo continued his remarkable late-season surge, throwing for 289 yards and three touchdowns, while the Gophers' defense suffocated a Badger offense into 280 yards total.

The win moves Minnesota to 10-2 (7-2 B1G), marking their second straight ten win season under Mick Smith. More importantly, it keeps the pressure on the top of the conference as the Gophers wait to see if a trip to the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis is in their immediate future.

The game was decided in a devastating second-quarter stretch. Leading 7-0 after an early Alan Soukup touchdown, Minnesota saw Wisconsin briefly take a 14-7 lead. But Bobo responded with a masterclass in efficiency, leading four straight scoring drives to close the half.

The exclamation point came as the clock hit zero in the second quarter. Bobo evaded a heavy Badger rush and launched a 59-yard bomb to Jalen Smith, who outran the Wisconsin secondary into the end zone. The play capped a 24-point second-quarter explosion that sent Minnesota to the locker room with a 31-14 lead and all the momentum.

Minnesota has handled its business, finishing the year with a dominant three-game stretch. However, Oregon beating Washington on Saturday night meant Minnesota will miss out on their third straight trip to Indianapolis.

Despite the lack of a conference title game berth, Minnesota’s resume—headlined by wins over Nebraska, USC, and Maryland—has them firmly in the driver’s seat for a College Football Playoff spot.

"We did what we could do. We kept the Axe," Coach Mick Smith said during the post-game trophy presentation. "Now we wait and see where the path takes us. But this group isn't done playing football yet."

---

Scoring Summary
1st quarter
Alan Soukup, 3 YD pass from Josh Bobo, 8:04
Dillin Jones, 8 yd run, 6:39
Trech Kekahuna 27 yd pass, from Brayden Roggov, 2:18

2nd quarter
Connor Malik 3 yd pass from Josh Bobo, 8:54
Fame Ijeboi, 1 Yd run, 3:57
Manuel Valles, 44 yd FG, 1:00
Jalen Smith 59 Yd pass from Josh Bobo, 0:00

3rd quarter
Josh Bobo, 5 Yd run, 7:57
Connor Malik, 1 Yd run, 0:42

4th quarter
Manuel Valles, 34 yd FG, 9:10
Manuel Valles, 22 yd FG, 6:42
Alex Rossi, 29 Yd FG, 4:04
Alan Soukup, 9 Yd pass from Dylan Wittke, 0:00

---

Soapys' Box Score

Passing
Josh Bobo - 25/37, 289 yds, 67%, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 154.4 QBR
Brayden Roggow - 11/28, 188 yds, 39%, 1 TD, 107.4 QBR

Rushing
Fame Ijeboi - 19 atts, 117 yds, 6.1 avg, 1 TD, 25 YAC
Dilin Jones - 10 atts, 50 yds, 5.0 avg, 1 TD, 24 YAC

Receiving
Connor Malik - 8 rec, 89 yds, 1 TD, 1 rush TD, 36 RAC
Jalen Smith - 11 rec, 120 yds, 1 TD, 83 RAC
Trech Kekahuna - 4 rec, 69 ds, 1 TD, 5 RAC

Defense
Emmanuel Karmo - 8 tlks, 2 sacks
Tyson Ford - 6 tlks, 1 TFL
Vernon Woodward II - 4 tlks, 3 DEFL

Torin Pettaway - 7 tlks, 3 TFL, 2.5 sacks
Xavier Ukponu - 6 tlks, 4 TFL, 1.5 sacks
Raphael Dunn - 11 tlks, 1 TFL

---

---

Bill Connelly is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering post-game news for College Football and Premier League Soccer. He previously worked at ESPN covering College Football, Tennis, and Soccer.

---

---

For Your Next Read

• Buckeyes take down PSU in Big Ten test
• America’s Favorite Story Comes to End
• Dirty Dogs are Truly Dirty

Comments

[ShireNiner]

End of Regular Season Polls and Playoff Picture

By: Bruce Felderman | December 12, 2027
Senior Writer, CFB

CFP Standings
1. Texas (12-1) Won SEC
2. Clemson (12-1) Won ACC
3. Tennessee (11-2)
4. Georgia (10-2)
5. Miami (11-2)
6. Michigan (11-2) Won Big Ten
7. Minnesota (10-2)
8. SMU (9-3)
9. North Texas (13-0) Won American Conference
10. Oregon (10-3)
11. Penn State (10-2)
12. Texas Tech (10-3) Won Big 12
13. Kansas State (10-3)
14. Boston College (10-2)
15. Alabama (9-3)
16. Notre Dame (10-2)
17. Tulane (10-2)
18. Duke (9-3)
19. Southern Miss (11-2)
20. TCU (9-3)
21. Boise State (10-3) Won MWC
22. USC (7-5)
23. Ohio State (7-5)
24. BYU (8-4)
25. Georgia Southern (10-3.)


Big Ten Standings
Michigan (11-2, 8-1) - CONFERENCE WINNER
Oregon (10-3, 7-2)
Penn State (10-2, 7-2)
Minnesota (10-2, 7-2)
Nebraska (9-3, 6-3)
Ohio State (7-5, 6-3)
USC (7-5, 5-4)
Indiana (7-5, 5-4)
UCLA (8-4, 5-4)
Michigan State (7-5, 5-4)
Maryland (7-5, 4-5)
Washington (6-6, 4-5)
Illinois (6-6, 4-5)
Northwestern (5-7, 3-6)
Wisconsin (5-7, 3-6)
Iowa (3-9, 2-7)
Purdue (1-11, 0-8)
Rutgers (1-11, 0-8)

What did you think of this story?

---

---

Bruce Felderman is a writer for ShireNiner Nation covering NCAA Football. Bruce previously wrote for ESPN, The Telegraph, and The Athletic before we paid way more money and he came to us.

---

---

Comments
[/quote]

[redsox907]

time to serve some charred duck

[djp73]

Good luck in the playoffs!

[ShireNiner]

time to serve some charred duck

Went from North Texas projection to Oregon.

Good luck in the playoffs!

I'm going to copy your game plan for beating them.

[The Hunted]

Good luck against the Ducks mate